The Ohio Lottery Classic Lotto

Claiming

Classic Lotto Rules & Regulations

3770:1-9-53 Ohio Lottery Commission Game rule number fifty-three.

(A) Title and term. Ohio lottery commission game rule number fifty-three, “Classic Lotto,” shall be conducted at such times and for such periods as the commission may determine. For the purpose of this rule, “sales cycle” shall mean any such period beginning on the date when ticket sales are commenced and continuing through the date established by the director as the final sales date.

(B) General design.

(1) Game rule number fifty-three is a lottery game of the type generally known as a number match game.

(2) Each ticket in game rule number fifty-three shall be imprinted with one set of six unique numbers from the set of integers one through forty-nine inclusive, as determined by the choice of the ticket purchaser or the auto lotto feature of the on-line gaming computer system, and recorded on the ticket at the time of purchase. Tickets purchased in game rule number fifty-three are automatically deemed by the on-line gaming system to reflect payment of the grand prize jackpot in thirty annual installments. As set forth in paragraph (H)(2) of this rule, at the time of claim, any grand prize jackpot prize winner(s) shall have sixty calendar days from the date of the presentation for payment of their valid claim to the Ohio lottery commission, to opt for a discounted cash value lump sum known as the “cash option.” All other prizes in game rule number fifty-three shall be paid out in a lump sum.

(3) At such times as determined by the director, drawings will be conducted during which six unique numbers shall be selected at random from the set of integers one through forty-nine inclusive. Holders of valid winning tickets for a given drawing bearing the numbers drawn in that drawing, in whole or in part, shall be entitled to a prize award in accordance with this rule.

(C) Price of tickets. The price of a ticket issued by the commission in game rule number fifty-three shall be one dollar per wager. The player may purchase up to the number of wagers per ticket, or multiples thereof, as designated by the director if a multi-draw wager is requested at the player’s discretion in accordance with the number of game panels and inclusive drawings.

(D) Structure, nature and value of prize awards. Based upon the numbers drawn in each regular drawing for game rule number fifty-three, prizes shall be awarded to holders of valid tickets for that drawing as follows:

(1) For each ticket bearing a selection which matches three, and only three, of the six integers drawn, the player wins a regular prize award of two dollars.

(2) For each ticket bearing a selection which matches four, and only four, of the six integers drawn, the player wins a regular prize award of seventy dollars.

(3) For each ticket bearing a selection which matches five, and only five, of the six integers drawn, the player wins a regular prize award of one thousand five hundred dollars.

(4) For each ticket bearing a selection which matches all six integers drawn, the prize pool to be paid shall be equal to the amount designated by the director (hereinafter “jackpot”), which shall be divided equally among the winning selections if there is more than one winning selection. The director or his designee shall designate and certify the amount of the jackpot for each drawing in writing prior to each drawing.

In any event, the director shall have discretion to change the prizes and percentages which represent the prize pools in each of the categories referred to in paragraphs (D)(1) to (D)(4) of this rule.

(5) The minimum total jackpot amount in any jackpot for which at least one ticket bears a winning selection which matches six of the six integers drawn, as validated by the on-line gaming computer system, shall be one million dollars, and shall be divided equally among the winning selections if there is more than one winning selection. The director may set the jackpot at levels higher than the minimum amount in accordance with paragraph (D)(4) of this rule.

(6) Any amounts remaining in the prize pools described in paragraphs (D)(1) to (D)(4) of this rule after any given drawing, due to residual amounts after prize disbursements, shall be retained by the commission.

(7) When there are no winning tickets issued for the prize pool described in paragraph (D)(4) of this rule, the director shall, in accordance with paragraph (D)(4) of this rule, establish what amounts from such prize pool shall be carried forward into the jackpot for the next drawing.

(8) When there are no winning tickets issued for the prize pool described in paragraph (D)(4) of this rule, the jackpot prize amount shall roll pari-mutuelly based on sales as set by the director or increase by a guaranteed amount established by the director, whichever jackpot prize amount is greater.

(9) In a single game rule number fifty-three drawing, a claimant may win in only one prize category per wager as a result of possessing winning numbers, and shall be entitled only to the highest prize level won.

(E) Frequency of prize drawings. Drawings shall be held at times determined by the director.
(F) Manner of prize drawings.

(1) Prize drawings shall be open to the public and may be held at such places in the state that the director shall determine. The director shall inform the public as to the time and place of each prize drawing.

(2) All holders of valid tickets for a given drawing are eligible to win in that drawing. If the holder of a winning ticket does not have the ticket fully validated and the prize is not claimed and presented for payment within one hundred eighty days after the date of the drawing, in accordance with the procedures set forth in lottery rules, such unclaimed prize shall be paid into the state lottery fund and distributed in accordance with section 3770.06 of the Revised Code.

(3) All drawings in game rule number fifty-three will be conducted in accordance with random procedures approved by the director. For every drawing in game rule number fifty-three, the director will approve procedures and mechanisms for the selection of winners and the awarding of prizes in order that random selection by the on-line computer system will be achieved.

(G) Validity of tickets.

(1) Each purchaser of tickets in game rule number fifty-three shall be responsible for verifying that the number imprinted on such tickets are those requested by the purchaser, that the purchase price paid is the price recorded on such ticket, and that such ticket has recorded thereon the type of bet(s), the manner of payment of the prize award, and the drawing date(s) therefor that the purchaser desired to make. The Ohio lottery commission shall be free of any liability in connection with this paragraph.

(2) Each ticket issued in game rule number fifty-three shall have imprinted thereon at the time of purchase a control number, bar code data, or both, supplied by the commission. No prize shall be paid by the commission for any tickets without such control number or bar code data.

(3) All winning tickets in game rule number fifty-three are subject to validation by the on-line gaming computer system under procedures established by the director before the payment of any prize.

(4) In addition to, but not in limitation of, all other power and authority conferred on the director by the commission’s rules, the director may declare a ticket in game rule number fifty-three void if it is stolen, not sold or deemed not sold in accordance with commission rules; if it is illegible, altered, or counterfeit; or if the ticket fails any of the validation tests or procedures established by the director. The commission’s liability and responsibility for a ticket declared void, if any, is limited to refund of the retail sales price of the ticket.

(5) For the purpose of determining the number of winning wagers, division of the jackpot is contingent on the on-line gaming computer system’s determination of winning wagers sold, and not by the number of winning tickets presented for payment.

(H) Annual payments or the cash option.

(1) Because the advertised Classic Lotto jackpot is payable over thirty years, jackpot prizes from game rule number fifty-three are payable in thirty annual installment payments, less the appropriately withheld state and federal income taxes or other withholdings as required by law. The first and/or last payment may not be equal to the remaining annual payments, however, the total thirty annual payments shall not be less than the jackpot prize award won, less state and federal income tax withholdings or any other withholdings required by law. As dictated by the interest rate set by the treasurer of state, the lottery transfers to the deferred prize trust fund an amount of cash determined by the director which equals the present value of the gross prize award won in a drawing to supply investment principal for funding long-term prize obligations, less the amount determined to be payable to the winner as a first annual installment. This present value transfer is less than the advertised jackpot.

(2) Upon completion of internal validation and claiming procedures established by the lottery, at the time a valid claim is presented for payment of the grand prize jackpot, the estimated cash option prize amount along with the amount of appropriately withheld state and federal income taxes shall be disclosed in writing to the prize winner. Commencing with the date of presentment of a valid winning grand prize jackpot ticket, and for sixty calendar days thereafter, claimants may choose the cash option value instead of thirty annual installment payments. Notice of such selection must be received by the lottery or post office stamped by the end of the sixty calendar day deadline. Such option, once chosen, may not be revoked. If no selection is made during the allowed time period, the prize winner shall be paid in thirty annual installment payments as provided for herein. The discounted cash value of a jackpot amount shall be determined by the director based on a formula established pursuant to authority granted under rule 3770:1-8-04 of the Administrative Code.

(3) A single winning Classic Lotto jackpot ticket may be paid pursuant to these rules in either thirty annual installments or in a discounted cash value lump sum (“cash option”). Prize winners who claim a joint prize from a single winning ticket will all receive prize payments in either thirty annual installments or in a discounted cash value lump sum. Prize winners who claim a joint prize from a single winning ticket may not opt to receive different forms of payment.

(I) Director’s conduct of game rule number fifty-three.

(1) The director shall conduct game rule number fifty-three in a manner consistent with the Lottery Act, the rules of the commission, including without limitation this rule, and the regulations of the director. As deemed necessary or advisable, the director shall adopt management regulations, orders or directives to implement and operate this lottery game.

(2) Names and definitions of elements of game rule number fifty-three used in this rule are considered generic terms used solely for the purpose of this rule. In actual operation, game rule number fifty-three and these elements may be given names or titles chosen by the commission.

(3) Should the director determine that drawings conducted pursuant to game rule number fifty-three are to be discontinued, the director has the discretion to transfer any existing funds from the game rule number fifty-three jackpot that was not won before such drawings were discontinued, to any lottery game or to allocate the entire or partial funds to the lower tiered prizes.

(4) The director shall have discretion to combine existing or future games for promotional purposes in order to increase revenues and to create a different payment structure for prizes to be paid if games are combined, and to authorize any funding mechanism deemed necessary to accomplish payment of any prize pool.